Method and means for insulating windows, doors, and the like



Fb. 27, 1940. p, A. ROSLING 2,191,500

METHOD AND MEANS FOR INSULATING WINDOWS, DOORS, AND THE LIKE Filed June l2, 1937 v a H Elf 26 INVENTOR.

PAULAROSLING ATTORNEY.

Patented 27, 1940 UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND vMEANS FOR INSULATING WINDOWS, DOORS, AND THE LIKE l Paul A'. unsung, calaweujN. J. Application June 12, 1937, serial No. 147,808

2 Claims. This invention relates to double window and door construction and more especially to a method and means for thermally insulating the transparent portions of windows and doors and 5-V the like.

'An object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive means for protecting the glass surfaces yof windows and doors from the ,passage of heat'and cold inwardly and outwardly through said windows or doors. Another object is to provide such a structure which can be readily applied -to an existing construction by anyone skilled enough to use a screw driver. Y A further object is to provide readily attachable and detachable moulding strips, preferably Y of metal, adapted to be applied to the outer surface of the upper sash and the inner surfacev of the lower sash, in the standard form of doublehung window.`

A still further object is to provide a double glass in a window or door opening in which one glass is permanently airixed to the frame and the other is removably ailixed thereto, and including means' to prevent the space between said glass from fogging under certain -weather conditions such as variations in temperature and humidity. All these and other objects, as suggested herebelow, are attained by the methods and means now to be described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a double-hung window showing the insulating transparent members aiiixed in their mouldings to thermally insulate the window glass in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail plan view of a corner section of the glass and moulding of thisv invention, showing the mitered corner of the moulding and the screws for ailixing it to the sash.'

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the form of moulding shown in Fig. l, but showing a hook edge portion for making the moulding watertight with the sash when in position thereon, and also showing resilient waterproof means for mounting the glass in the moulding in manner also to prevent rattling, as by vibration or from the wind. Y

5l) Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a modified form of mounting containing an offset adapted to position the glass at any desired spacing from the base of the moulding or the :stationary glass of the nnpnine hash., wam-+A (Ol. 2li-56.5)

moulding section from more than one rolled shape. suitably fastened together.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a modied form ofmoulding which accomplishes the same purpose as that of Fig. 4 but is simpler and 6 cheaper'to manufacture.

Fig. 6 shows a double-sided moulding strip to be used, for instance, along the mullion of as French door (or a'mullioned window) to reduce the glass sizes needed, in the -interest of economy 1.0.- and lessened breakage.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View of a portion of a mullioned window or door showing the use of compressible glasscontact strips along'the mullions to bearagainst the glass and better support 15 it against breakage, where the glass size is sufciently large to bridge over one or more mullion strips.

And Fig. 8 is a partial horizontal cross section through the horizontal mullion of Fig. 7, to more 20 clearly bring out the details of construction.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

'Ihere is shown'in Fig. 1 a standard form of double-hung window comprisingv an upper sash 2 5 I 0 with itspermanent glass'll and a lower sash I2 with its permanent glass I3. The inner window sill is shown at I4 and the slanting ledge at I5.

'I'he windows are counter-balanced in the 30 usual manner by'means of weights concealed in the casing attached tothe sash by ropes I6 leading over pulleys I1. 'Ihe line 28 shows the joint by which the contacting portions' of the upper and lower window sash are sealed tight when in 35 the closed position as shown.

This inventor, realizing that the greatest amount of heat in the summer and cold in the winter enters a building through the window (and door) glass, which has a considerably less 40 thermal insulation value than ordinary building walls, has conceived this invention to improve the insulating quality of each such opening without in any way impairing its transparency efciency. At the same time he has devised a 45 method and means which, though the acme of simplicity, may be readily applied by an ordinary person with ordinary equipment to windows and glass doors, on existingy construction, and also being adapted for ready removal should ocv casion arise. e

The knowledge of thermal insulation has developed rapidly in recent years andwhile there Goverment Bureau of Standards, has determined that a dead air space is an effective insulant providing the thickness of the spacev is kept to relatively low limits in order to promote a laminal flow of heat and prevent the heat being carried across the space by convection as happens where the thickness of the/air space is too great.

In order to get the eifect of the correct air space this inventor has devised a formed metallic Y moulding to be applied to the surface of the sash around the glass opening in such manner that the thickness of the space between the auxiliary or insulating pane of glass, and the original glass of the window or door opening may be altered or kept to the approximately correct amount.

One form of this moulding is shown at I8, Fig. l, and consists of a U-shaped channel section terminating in a reverse fiange into which the screws I9 are positioned to hold the moulding in place.

The moulding may be made of non-corrosive steel, brass, or anyl other bendable metal, and formed preferably by rolling through suitable rolls, and may be sold in standard lengths with standard size panes of glass, four moulding pieces to a set for the four sides of the glass, and with the corners pre-mitered ready for use.

The modiiication shown in Fig. 3 comprises a hooked edge |80, adapted to set into a groove.

' either pre-formed or formed when screwed into position on the sash, this being an effective seal against the admissiormifof moisture and free air to the dead air space between the two panes of glass. In this modification also is shown a member 20 of some compressible or resilient material such as rubber, cork, or fabric, for the purpose of` providing a seat or protector for the edges of the glass and further to prevent the introduction of moisture or air to the said dead air space. Or this member 2D may extend up the sides of the glass to provide a cushion between it and the hard metallic surface of the channel section of the moulding but this feature, while sometimes desirable, is not always necessary.

Where the space between the permanent glass of the opening and the surface of the sash to which the auxiliary glass is to be applied is too small for the correct air space or thickness for maximum insulating efficiency, then the mouldings as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 maybe utilized. The one in Fig. 4 is in eifect like that of member I8 of Fig. l. except that the ange position 2l is offset from the side wall of `the channel 2Ia as at 2lb. Also this channel 'section may consist of a Z-bar-shape and a T-shape fastened together in the position clearly shown in the drawing, this for purposes of simplifying and economizing on its cost of manufacture, as well as increasing its strength appreciably.

The moulding section shown in Fig. 5 answers the same purpose as that of Fig. 4 but is much simpler because requiring fewer bends while yet giving any desired offset between the glass holding channel position and the sash fastening ange. This is accomplished by bending a continuous strip into two adjacent U-sections in reverse position to each other and extending one side of a U-section as shown to create the holding ange, one U-section 22a being adapted to support the glass, the adjacent U-section 22h being formed by the offset portion meeting the holding flange 22o.

The glass may be of standard thickness or otherwise, and when in position in the moulding strip the arrangement is as shown \in Fig. 3 wherein the numeral 23 designates'the, auxiliary pane of glass.

Some windows, or Ydoors such as French doors, may have mullions 24, Fig. '7, separating smaller panes of glass, and in order to economize on glass sizes and also for purposes of safety in the event of breakage, a duplex moulding section as shown in Fig. 6 may be used part way down or across the surface. Here two oppositely-disposed Vspaced channel portions 25, 25 are connected by a common flange portion 25a, in which said flange portion are spaced holes 25h for fastening the moulding to the sash.

Also, as in the mullioned window shown in Fig. 7, compressible strips 26 may be aflixed as by gluing to the surface of the mullions, which is usually in-a plane with the sides of the window or door frame, said strips being of an equivalent thicknessto double the thickness of the metal used in the form of moulding shown at I3, for instance, in order to provide a somewhat resilient surface for the insulating glass to gain support from said mullions. This construction is clearly shown in Fig. 8.

In order to prevent or minimize the possibility of fogging between the stationary glasses II, I3 and the auxiliary glasses 23, 23 respectively, small spaced holes or openings 21, Fig. 1 may be made in one or more of the sections of channel to equalize or permit the partial equalization, for instance, of the temperature between the dead air space and the adjacent inner or outer space, such holes however being too small to seriously affect the dead air quality of the space between the glass, and hence there is maintained substantially all the heat insulating value of the system.

The simplest method of applying this invention to a window, for instance, is to iirst position the lower strip and two side strips of moulding to surround the edges of the glass and then insert the glass from the top when the sash is in the bottom-most position, and thenr apply the upper moulding strip and screw it home. This method is reversed when removing the glass, the bottom strip being removed to get the aid of gravity in taking out the glass.

While the invention has been disclosed in a form for ready adaptability to a window or door already constructed, it is of course understood that the same combination of a plurality of transparent or translucent glass members may be permanently inserted in a sash especially designed to take such suitable moulding strips for carrying said glass, so that the construction would then become an integral part of the completely fabricated unit.

Furthermore, an important adaptation of the moulding strips, as another feature of this invention, is for use in mounting mirrors on doors. For such purpose the moulding may be chromium plated if desired, or otherwise adapted for a decorative effect. Likewise, these mountings may be used with plywood or other thin sheets of material for panelling; `for such use, of course, the thickness of the channel of the moulding strip would vbe regulated to accommodatethe thickness of the panel or other material to be inserted in it.

Having now described the invention what is claimed as new and for which Letters Patent of the United States is desired, is:

l. A metallic moulding for holding the edges of glass, comprising a U-shaped section formed with two bends, and a holding flange formed with a third bend, the outer edge o: said aange terminating in a slightly inwardly-curved hook portion adapted to enter a shallow groove in the sasl:I to which it is applied, for sealing and ho1d,

ing purposes.

2. Means for insulating a. mullioned window or door, comprising positioning suitable `metallic moulding around a plurality of individual glass 

